The Shack

I don't usually read fiction books, just not enough time in the day. My reading is mostly focused on learning from others. I like anything that teaches me more about my Lord and I love leadership (mostly because I wish to be a great leader). However on Monday I picked up a fiction book that I have heard much about. In fact it has become somewhat of a controversy among theologians. Amanda (admin assist) had read "The Shack" and asked would I like to borrow it, sure I said and off I went. The reading started at 7:30 pm Monday night, I read until 12:00 midnight, picked it back up at the office Tuesday morning and finished it by 11:00 am. WOW!

What drew me to those pages I am not sure, but what I read really impacted me in many ways. Taking into account the book is completely fiction one must be careful not to take what is written as completely theologically correct, however I must say it helped me deal with some issues of religion I have battled for a long time.

Without spoiling the book for you, allow me to give you a brief storyline: Mack (lead character) looses a daughter while camping with his family to a kidnapping killer. He receives a note inviting him back to the last known location of his daughters being alive four years latter. Upon his visit to "The Shack" he encounters God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The book depict a story of redemption and forgiveness like nothing I have ever read.

So what value did I get from "The Shack"? The best way to describe it for you is to tell you how it opened up a fresh eye for God that I had been struggling with for so long. Many of us were raised into religion, a view that structured our lives as Christ follower. A life filled with rules, regulations and standards. But as I have grown in the faith and studied the Bible I find that the God I read about is not so worried about religion, but He longs for relationship. He knows that once we fall in love with Him, the rules will become natural and we will be different. "The Shack" also helped me deal with some of the images I had of God. Although I think some of the transcript became a little to free, it made me think about how I can only see Jesus as the pictures we all have seen in most churches. Jesus must have had been a white man with long hair, long beard, a gentle look, wearing a cream colored robe. But really is that who Jesus is? Could it be that Jesus was black (remember he was Jewish, dark skinned) and can the image we have be wrong. Could our image of God be wrong, you know a Grandfatherly figured white man with long white hair, a mean look, perfect white robe, looking over the top of small framed glasses, just waiting for you to mess up so He can mess you up? What about the Holy Spirit, is He like the boogie man, always watching to see if you keep the rules? Or is He all in our stuff hoping to help us create a life of beauty and grace?

"The Shack" certainly goes to the very edge of a line I am not sure I can travel. I can say that I hope all I read is more real that we know. The writer(William P. Young) took some liberties that caused me to think. Some have been very critical of his book and called it irresponsible, I remind them it is only fiction. Some have even attacked him personally. A word to Mr. Young, they have been doing this for years, treat it like I do idiots, let it run off you back like water on a duck. It ain't worth your time (since I read you book I think you probably know that better than I). I encourage you to consider reading it, with one caution:
Read this book like any fiction book, read it as a story. When you do you will find it to be more of a love story than anything else.